Phantom breast pain

Yes me too and thank you for posting this as I keep telling myself not to be so silly.

I had a left breast mastectomy in May and currently half way through chemo.  All scans I've had suggest that cancer was limited to left breast, however for the past couple of weeks or so I've been feeling discomfort in my right breast.  Now every sensible part of me is saying don't be silly but it's not that simple is it?

My cancer wasn't discovered conventionally, it started with the same sort of discomfort and I was sent away by first doctor I went to because I didn't have any lumps (in fact no lump was determined by manual examination by 3 separate professionals before diagnosis.

I will be mentioning mine at my next assessment but it is amazing how paranoid you can become.

XOXO

Hi

I wonder if it's just the fact that you are more heightened to your breasts having had cancer in one of them? 

Or alternatively it could be the operations on your left side have made your body adjust its position very very slightly, thus causing pain in your right one. I lost my right elbow in a road accident and my body has adjusted to the position my arm is set in to what is comfortable by very slightly my right shoulder being dragged forward a little - not particularly visible to anyone else, by if I try and move my shoulder into it's previous position for a period of time, it aches like crazy.

I have twinges in my right breast every now and again and the same with the left one, but I wouldn't have thought anything about it until I had breast cancer.  I also every now and again have a sharp pain down the left side of my chest on the left which I never had before being diagnosed. (lhs breast cancer). Despite these, I've had 2 annual mammograms since having had cancer and received the all clear on both of them.  So, I work on the principal that if I'd had an all clear, then I just ignore them and 'hope for the best' - not the best way of thinking, I'm sure - but I figured I can't keep on worrying or I won't actually live the life that was saved by having my routine mammogram, so I do know where you are coming from in not being able to trust your brain and body - I have found that especially those thoughts come to the fore at night time .

Best wishes,

Hey justtheone I really don't think it's us being silly not when the pain is so real ...but then I don't know what to think because after all the pain comes from the brain giving us signals so I really don't know what to believe.

My story is a pretty strange one and it's something I can't seem to get my head around... Put it this way it's like one day I didn't have a lump then boom the next day it was just there bulging from under my skin! It turned out it was a 3x4cm lump so yea pretty damn big!! I don't mean this to sound crude but even my partner said they would of felt something before it even getting that size, gobsmacked wasn't the word after it had been measured, I knew instantly it must of been an aggressive one before they even cut it out and told me it tested positive for cancer, I had two lymph nodes from under my arm removed too that also tested positive.

I've got an appointment with the consultant tomorrow to see whether I have to have a masectomy or go straight on to chemotherapy and then radiotherapy.

How is your chemotherapy going so far? The thought of chemo is putting fear into me if I'm honest.

Xxx

Hey justtheone I really don't think it's us being silly not when the pain is so real ...but then I don't know what to think because after all the pain comes from the brain giving us signals so I really don't know what to believe.

My story is a pretty strange one and it's something I can't seem to get my head around... Put it this way it's like one day I didn't have a lump then boom the next day it was just there bulging from under my skin! It turned out it was a 3x4cm lump so yea pretty damn big!! I don't mean this to sound crude but even my partner said they would of felt something before it even getting that size, gobsmacked wasn't the word after it had been measured, I knew instantly it must of been an aggressive one before they even cut it out and told me it tested positive for cancer, I had two lymph nodes from under my arm removed too that also tested positive.

I've got an appointment with the consultant tomorrow to see whether I have to have a masectomy or go straight on to chemotherapy and then radiotherapy.

How is your chemotherapy going so far? The thought of chemo is putting fear into me if I'm honest.

Xxx

Hiya

It's true to say that each one of us is different and no one journey's is strange, just unique to them.  I can beat your lump size, going from something 3 different Dr/consultants couldn't feel to an 11cm tumour by the time I had my mastectomy.  So very aggressive, which is why they are throwing the whole works at me, surgery, chemo, radiotherapy and a year's worth of Herceptin, my cancer being HER2 positive.

I was lucky in that there was no lymph node involvement but, because of the size, not clear margins from my chest wall.

So far chemo has been kind to me, side effects have been minimal and mild, lots of little niggles but doable. I'm half way through my 4th cycle of 6. I must admit I was very nervous about starting it but once it had begun it was fine.

Will be thinking of you tomorrow and hope it goes well.

XOXO

Hi Lesley,

your theory may just be right but it would be nice to have a definite answer wouldn't it, the consultant didn't really explain it other than making me feel like it was all in my mind, he didn't say whether it was common about feeling phantom pain either.

I do try push the pain aside when it happens (which isn't all the time) and try to just ignore it but you know when you let your mind think 'what if' even though really I should trust my consultant with him being a professor/surgeon too so he must definitely know his stuff. I actually found out my landlady had a battle with breast cancer 20 year's ago and he was her consultant too!

Thank you for your reply

Kel

Xxx

Oh my word and here's me thinking mine was big... I was gutted after the 2nd op seeing the consultant weeks after because that appointment was meant to be if I was to have a masectomy or go straight on to chemo, when he said I was having a 3rd one I broke down in tears because I wanted a set answer there and then I didn't expect they'd put me down for a 3rd one, so yea I am pretty much stressed yet again but apparently tomorrow will be a set answer, I am really hoping for no more surgery and going straight on to chemo, I was diagnosed on the 7th May this year so its been pretty much dragged out, mine also tested HER2 positive and I was told I will be on estrogen suppressants for 5-10 year's as treatment when chemo begins, what is herceptin?

I am so glad to hear the chemo is being kind to you, my fingers are crossed for you that it continues that way right to the end when you win your battle.

Thank you for the well wish

Kel

Xxx

Hiya

Herceptin is the treatment for HER2 but I was hormone receptor negative.  Sounds like you might have both but best waiting for the experts to talk you through it tomorrow.  

Sounds like you've been through the mill with surgery so far but hopefully tomorrow they will have the answers.  Keep pushing through, you'll get there in the end.

XOXO